Just Car Blog

Infiniti, the luxury performance global automotive brand from Japan, officially opened their fourth South African centre in Cape Town on the 11th of June.

The all new Infiniti showroom allows the exhibition of the entire Infiniti model range plus equipment variants – the sleek Infiniti G Coupé and Cabrio, the compact and elegant EX SUV, the ultimate performance FX SUV (the best-selling Infiniti model in Europe) and the elegant Infiniti M sedan.

Numerous guests attended the official opening ceremony of Infiniti Cape Town in June. Guests were treated to an evening of fine food and entertainment. The evening event was presented by Alec Combrink, Dealer Principal for Infiniti Centre, Cape Town.

Infiniti continues to successfully expand into more markets with 450 retail outlets in place to date. The last five years has seen an acceleration in our expansion with the recent major expansions being Russia in 2006, China in 2007, Europe in 2008 and South Africa mid 2012.

While there are many key touch points in the relationship, be it product or people – the key element will always be the retail environment where the base of the relationship is formed. To this end we are establishing a national network of Infiniti centre’s to support the total ownership experience country wide.

“We have already opened four Infiniti Centre’s in South Africa to date; Melrose in Johannesburg, Hatfield in Pretoria, Durban located in the Pinetown area and we are very happy to be launching our first store in the Western Cape region, and look forward to a very successful venture”, says George Stegmann, General Manager Infiniti South Africa.

Gallery: The Infiniti Cape Town launch was a great success –

With the dealerships modern, elegant architecture, luxurious and spacious interior, the customer service philosophy of “Total Ownership Experience” and the attractive model range of Infiniti – clients can expect exclusiveness and premium-quality in every sense.

With its vanguard, light-flooded design and the spacious and sterling interior Infiniti sets new courses in car dealership design. Infiniti of Cape Town is one of the many Infiniti Centres in 20 European countries to be designed according to the IREDI concept (Infiniti Retail Environment Design Initiative): a spacious and air-conditioned showroom with elegant furniture and the impressing I-View model configurator (with 57 inch screen) guarantee a unique, elegant as well as relaxing ambience.

With the “Total Ownership Experience” the global automotive brand is going to meet the high requirements of a modern luxury brand and focus on individual needs and well-being of its customers

Eyewitness News has revealed that F1 Boss Bernie Ecclestone has told them that Cape Town will host a Formula One street race in the next two years.

In February this year, the Cape Times reported that a local consortium had been invited to picth a racetrack to the FIA that was centred around the Waterfront, Greenpoint and even running through the Greenpoint stadium.

The proposal is apparently weeks away from being signed: ”I’m hoping we can make a decision as soon as our lawyers have a good look at them… within the next couple of weeks,” Ecclestone has been reported as saying.

EWN Reporter Jean Smyth, talking on 567 CapeTalk this afternoon, said he took a few weeks to get some time with Ecclestone. He added that Ecclestone was quite cagey with details, but was confident that the race will happen.

In the interview (recording posted below) a softly spoken Ecclestone said that as soon as there is a contract in place, things will happen within two years, in Cape Town.

Ecclestone would not be drawn on any further details about the track, or placement of the track. He said if the race could be organised in Johannesburg that would be good.

Reporter Smyth asks towards the end of the interview: “According to you, Cape Town has a real chance of holding an F1 Grand Prix in two years?” to which Ecclestone replies: “Yes”.

There is a tonne of paperwork, licensing and money that goes into staging an F1 Grand Prix, so there is much to iron out before this happens. But that sort of answer from that sort of person is good enough for me to get excited.